Our Champions
These are the amazing people who have either pioneered a new approach, influenced others to get badging, changed policies or practices to include digital badges or – and this is the ultimate commitment – found ways to buy Badge Nation membership for others.
Barnardos was and always will be the first national charity to join Badge Nation. Their childrens’ centre volunteer and youth action badges are frequent examples in the ‘how to do badges’ conversation.
Brighton and Hove City Council have agreed to fund Badge Nation membership for a mix of schools and voluntary sector organisations in the city in 2021. Thank you Brighton & Hove!
City College Plymouth have the biggest collection of badges by any vocational training provider and FE college. Their Skills for HE suite and the badges they have issued to recognise extra-curricular community engagement during lockdown are our go to example of good practice in this space.
Any organisation that causes good trouble should get a shout out in our book, but this Brighton CIC was an early adopter of badges in youth settings and for that we will always be grateful!
My Need to Live are another CIC who have a fantastic online offer both in terms of community and e-learning. They were the first organisation in the pilot to feature their digital badge offer on their website and aim to have 90 badges on the platform by May 2021.
Our first ever issuer on the platform. Plymouth Dance is a tiny charity that punches well above its weight. They have been championing the value of badges since the start of the pilot.
Southampton City Council have purchased Badge Nation membership for 10 organisations in the city, and in doing this, brought us our first premiership football club. Go the Saints!
SPAEDA is an independent arts education charity with 20 years’ experience in providing training and resources, model projects and advocacy across the arts for the education sector.
As part of their legacy work for their Artsmark offer, SPAEDA are shouting loud and spreading the word about the benefits of digital badges for those looking to begin or progress their careers within the creative industries. Thank you SPAEDA!
This little dance charity in Cornwall does some amazing stuff – but one thing in particular that we love, is making their older members trustees and directors. For this they get a a ‘Young Trustee’ badge! How good is that going to look on a CV?!… We want one!
In terms of school activity, Varndean have led the way in embedding badges in secondary schools. Their use of badges in lockdown was held up as an example of pupil engagement and they were the largest single issuer of badges during the pilot.
Vistry have shown a brilliant and truly genuine commitment to the social value activity that can be delivered by the construction sector. They have grasped the value of digital badges and are running ahead trying to get the rest of the sector to Badge for the construction sector. The Vistry ‘Site Ready’ Badge is one of the best examples of a ‘route to employment’ badge we have on the platform.
VAL are not only an Issuer with Badge Nation but we consider them a Champion too. They are the first Badge Nation organisation to feature a dedicated page for Digital Badges on their YES Project website and we absolutely love it. Thank you VAL!
One of the winners of the Cities of Learning competition in 2020 – Waltham Forest have purchased Badge Nation membership for 15 of the organisations in the area supporting people into employment. They are massive supporters of the creative sector and have launched badging in a big way there.